title: Sex-specific associations between thyrotropin and serum lipid profiles.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Population-based studies investigating the sex-specific association between thyrotropin (TSH) levels and serum lipid concentrations are scarce. We examined the association between TSH and total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and triglycerides in men and women from the general population. Furthermore, the association with TSH outside and within the reference range and lipid levels was studied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individual data of 13,571 men and women without lipid medication of four population-based studies conducted in Western European adults were pooled for cross-sectional analyses. The association between TSH levels and lipid concentrations were analyzed by calculating sex-specific multivariable median regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the pooled population, serum TSH levels were significantly positively associated with triglyceride values in men and with total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride values in women. In the pooled male population, low serum TSH levels (<3.0 mIU/L) were significantly associated with lower total cholesterol, while high serum TSH levels (≥ 3.0 mIU/L) were associated with higher triglyceride values. In the pooled female population, low serum TSH levels were significantly associated with lower total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol. High TSH levels were associated with higher total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the pooled female population. In both sexes, serum TSH levels within the reference range (0.3-3.0 mIU/L) were significantly positively associated with triglyceride concentrations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increasing levels of TSH were associated with a less favorable lipid profile in both men and women from the general population. In both sexes, TSH levels within the reference range were significantly positively associated with triglyceride concentrations.
authors.affiliation: 1 Institute of Epidemiology II , Helmholtz Zentrum Munich, German Research Center for Environmental Health, Neuherberg, Germany .
authors.forename: Christa
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Meisinger
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ittermann
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tiller
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agger
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nauck
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schipf
authors.forename: Henri
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wallaschofski
authors.forename: Torben
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jørgensen
authors.forename: Allan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Linneberg
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Thiery
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kluttig
authors.forename: Karin H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Greiser
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Werdan
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Burkhardt
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Völzke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D013972:Thyrotropin